One of the things Nokia UI design has been picked upon is the font (typeface really, but we’ll refer to it as font). It’s is such an important part of the total user experience, but since it’s so subtle it’s so often overlooked how much impact it has.

The font can’t be just any font as long as it’s readable. You can’t just stick with a font because it’s recognizable. Maybe that’s ok for the brand logo – but not the default font for reading messages, viewing pages, UI buttons/titles etc. Why? The font conveys its own message.

I also asked about the Nokia Font (if they liked it), if they had thought about changing it as it does make a surprising difference to the overall appearance, if ever so subtly. That topic was something of a surprise for them and something not even considered. Apparently all documents at Nokia HQ are in this Nokia Sans. Whilst I know there’s several much bigger issues – attention to detail is also important.

So without further ado, Nokia are apparently introducing a NEW corporate font that will launch across all devices. It is called “Nokia Pure”, and it was created by typographers Dalton Maag. I’m not sure if this change in font is related to the Microsoft Partnership (as font plays SUCH A BIG PART of the Metro UI Windows Phone experience, as it is also with Palm Pre – just to add on importance of font choice). It may have been part of an intended internal change all along, it’s just that it’s the first time we’ve heard of it.

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One of the exhibition posters - not from Nokia - a poster with the brief to use the new typeface

Aapo Bovellan, Studio Nokia’s director of brand and marketing says,

“Nokia Pure is a celebration of our Finnish design heritage. We wanted to give it a natural, flowing form, while creating something that is highly functional and neutral. Nokia Pure has a clarity of purpose and as little design as possible. It’s made to celebrate human creativity.’”

Font’s must be functional but they must also convey the correct message through the right design. For a phone, they must be easily readable, scalable for small screen and zooming, but not occupy too much room. Yet it must also have rounder, more modern looking curves (at least in comparison to Nokia Sans), something that fits within the expectations of today.

The font had it’s own Exhibition yesterday (24th March) called, the “Nokia Pure Exhibition” with artists sponsored to come up with posters using the new typeface.

The exhibition is the collaboration of D&AD, Nokia and Finlandia vodka. The posters will be sold at the exhibition and online to raise money for the British Dyslexia Association.

Hey, thanks for reading my post. My name is Jay and I'm a medical student at the University of Manchester. When I can, I blog here at mynokiablog.com and tweet now and again @jaymontano. We also have a twitter and facebook accounts @mynokiablog and Facebook.com/mynokiablog.
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Zaxxx

Will it available for n8,or just upcoming device/windows phone?

http://wink.io Wink

I’m sure it will be available through device updates but feel this is going to be a massive failure. Case studies have been written about the current Nokia typeface and its readability on screen. Nokia pure is nowhere close to that.

http://ameynerkar.wordpress.com Amey

A pure new experience!

GordonH

Glad to see Nokia’s ability to focus on the details. Execution speed seems to be picking up at Nokia.
I’m not used to seeing Nokia’s fast execution… This is all very weird maybe a dream …ouch.. No not a dream … Ouch.. Ok not a dream.. Ouch..oops.

The usual step: copy fonts to \resource\fonts and reboot.
When I did this the first time, Qt apps broke.
But when I installed Qt 4.7.2 + QtMobility 1.1.1 + QtWebkit 4.7.2, and then changed fonts, Voila, everything works 100%.

Note: I am still running PR 1.0, not sure if later updates will break these steps.

Maybe because I haven’t try out any better font on it? But no complain though..

deep space bar

the Nokia sans is famous cause it was designed from some artist

Steve

Ummm… I am a symbian fan using an N8, and believe me, this is the best thing that could happen. This gives the phone a more modern look. At some point you’ve gotta break with the screen memories of your N95 and move on. There’s a reason other platforms have eaten Nokia’s market share.

Antonio

This Nokia Pure font is SO beautiful! It looks a lot like the font I used on my N95, actually even better! And I love it!

It seems that Nokia has changed their font many times during past years, and getting more and more beautiful.
However, what I think more important is, can they have Chinese support on all phones, not only those sold in China and Singapore?

i have nokia e63 with the latest firmware. I want to install nokia pure new font released by nokia but i am not able to do so. Kindly give me guidline of installing the font.

Paul McMahon

This sums Nokia up to be honest. The fact that they’ve plowed such weight into projects like this and not innovation of handsets, quite rightly means their market position is falling quicker than their share price